Uber driver charged with rape cries in court, judge tells him to ‘knock it off’

BOSTON, Mass. – A Boston Uber driver who was arraigned in court Monday after accusations he raped a passenger is “not subject to removal,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. The agency earlier had placed the driver on a detainer.

In a statement to CNN affiliate WBZ, an ICE official said after an investigation, the agency found “this individual is not subject to removal at this time.”

“ICE will continue to monitor his criminal proceedings,” the ICE official said.

Daudah Mayanja, a 37-year-old Ugandan citizen charged with two counts of rape, broke down in tears as he went before a judge Monday.

On Saturday about 1:15 a.m., Massachusetts State Police responded to a report that a woman was sexually assaulted by her Uber driver. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Mayanja’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment, but Mayanja told CNN affiliate WCVB he was innocent.

When reached for comment, Uber said that as soon as the company was notified of the incident, they removed the driver’s access to the app.

“What’s been reported is horrible and something no one should ever go through,” said an Uber spokesperson. “We stand ready to support law enforcement with their investigation.”

Mayanja maintained his innocence in a telephone interview with WCVB.

“That information that aired outside is wrong and false,” Mayanja told WCVB. “She jumped from the back seat to the driver’s seat. When I pulled over, she jumped out from the car, (and) I left the scene. I called my bosses because, after, I noticed that she left her bag inside my car. I called the Uber offices to tell them about the situation.”

Mayanja said he received a phone call from police shortly afterward.

“She reported to the police that somebody, the driver, tried to rape her,” he said.

Mayanja told WCVB that he drove himself to the state police barracks, gave his statement and was arrested.

On Sunday, ICE placed a detainer on Mayanja and increased his bail from $25,000 to $100,000, according to the Massachusetts State Police. ICE says a detainer is “placed on aliens arrested on criminal charges for whom ICE possesses probable cause to believe that they are removable from the United States.”

Mayanja is required to surrender his passport. If he makes bail, he is required to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet.